How Social Media Destroyed Gen Z

I'm concerned that social media is an important driver of that youth mental health crisis. People, like with the filters, are like people with the unimaginable bodies that are all fake, all fake and perfect. And it's like, why can't that be me, you know?

42% of Gen Zers said they could not stop using social media if they tried. The most common words they associate with platforms like Facebook and Instagram: depressed, angry, and alone. We've all heard people say that Gen Z is addicted to social media, but is this just something people like to claim, or is it really true? This video explores the answer to that.

But right off the bat, it's clear to see how destructive social media can be and how much damage it's already done to Generation Z. And by the way, I'm technically part of Gen Z too, so when I speak to you, I speak to myself. I'm Visual Venture, and make sure you guys watch the whole video because it unpacks a lot.

Damage to the brain and the body. Gen Z is known as the internet generation. They are society's digital natives, spending an average of 7 hours and 7 minutes a day on their phone, scrolling through social media. On average, Gen Z spends over 49 hours a week on their devices, which is more hours than a full-time job. With so much time in cyberspace, how do they have time for the real world? The answer is, they don't.

Alexis Spence was only 11 years old when she discovered Instagram. From then on, her life changed forever. At first, Alexis signed up to find more content about Webkinz, a kids' web game about stuffed animals. But soon, she fell into the endless content rabbit hole. She found accounts of models and fitness gurus, which made her feel self-conscious about her own looks. Seeking comfort, she turned to online communities, but the people she met there were far from friendly. Instagram's algorithm suggested harmful accounts for her to follow, encouraging unhealthy behavior. And being 11 years old, Alexis didn't know better. She was easily influenced by these pages.

Through these accounts, she found a series of group chats. But these group DMs only made Alexis feel worse about herself, with the members peer-pressuring her to continue her newly found bad habits. "She was on social media at 11 years old without our knowledge, without our consent. And from there, she very slowly withdrew, and piece by piece, we began to lose our daughter." And by 12, Alexis was completely addicted to her phone. She started drawing artwork of herself crying with her phone nearby, along with self-deprecating comments written on the paper. This was when her parents realized just how bad social media was for their daughter.

They tried parental controls on her phone to block her from going on Instagram. They even tried taking her phone away, but that only angered Alexis, causing her to punch a hole in the wall. Whatever her parents did, it didn't matter. Alexis had an addiction. She secretly went online at night, creating alternate emails and accounts, hiding them from her parents. She even downloaded an app that disguised Instagram as a calculator so her parents didn't know she still had it on her phone. By the age of 15, the negative influences of social media had become so detrimental to her health that she was hospitalized. She spent 2 weeks in a ward without access to her phone or the internet. And that's when her parents believed they found the root of Alexis's problems: social media.

So, I believe that Alexis's parents are also to blame. But there's no doubt that social media has added a completely new element to parenting that was never there before. According to a survey by McKenzie and Company, 27% of Gen Z said that social media has negatively impacted their mental health. But despite how badly social media affects our lives, we can't seem to put down our devices. That's because social media stimulates our brain like substances would. When scrolling through your phone, you get short bursts of dopamine, the feel-good hormone that creates the feeling of pleasure. And since social media is an endless scroll of content, it's like an endless supply of dopamine.

But the problem is, this feeling becomes your norm. Since Gen Z are so used to this constant stream of dopamine, when they don't have it, everything feels wrong. This is what creates the addiction. When they don't have it in their day-to-day life, away from their screens, they feel much worse than they normally would, as if they're having a come-down. 42% of Gen Zers said they could not stop using social media if they tried. The most common words they associate with platforms like Facebook and Instagram: depressed, angry, and alone. So obviously, scrolling on your screens makes you feel worse, right? For me, after an hour of doing this, just like laying down, I feel empty. I feel sad.

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Ignoring consequences. Many influencers on social media are obsessed with getting likes and follows that they act without thinking about the consequences. Some of these actions are ridiculous, while others are straight-up dangerous. Kick streamer Neon is no stranger to controversy. At just 19, he has built a huge social media following by doing crazy things in public. Although other streamers get in trouble too, Neon is different because he doesn't seem to care about the consequences of his actions.

A perfect example of this was in January 2024, when he shared some disturbing news with his viewers on a live stream titled "Clearing the Beef." Neon revealed that he received bad news from his doctor. "I had only 3 and 1/2 days to live. I do have approximately 3 and 1/2 days to live, but the doctors told me some crazy... and I just hope you guys can make me feel better and pray for me." But instead of feeling sorry for Neon, people did the opposite. His viewers accused him of repeatedly faking illnesses, leaving comments like, "It's so sad that he has to constantly lie about his safety and health for views." Another one saying, "I've seen this script before." Some even pointed out that Neon faked his death before, saying, "I honestly can't believe him if this was true, 'cause he's already faked his death."

You'd think getting blasted by dozens of people would make Neon change his ways. But instead of feeling ashamed, he started boasting about what he did. "D man, I faked my death, bro. Yeah, good times, really, really good time." "Is that the first thing you did that took you that kind of took it?" "I did it twice. No one knows about this 'cause I deleted it. I said I got in a car crash and died."

But that drama was nothing compared to when he tried to mess with one of the most powerful men in the world. In December 2023, what started as an ordinary live stream quickly turned into a serious situation. Around that time, President Donald Trump was scheduled to attend a UFC match. So Neon told thousands of people on his live stream that he would attend the event, walk up to President Trump, and confront him aggressively.

"So here's my plan, chat. Um, you know, you can clip this and, you know, foreshadow it in the future. What's going to happen is I'm going to walk up, um, you know, I'm going to talk my Trump, and then, um, it's going to be a very good experience. I don't care the Secret Service is there. I, I'm going to talk." Going up to a former president like this is insane, and it's even more serious when he's surrounded by armed guards.

Neon's comments quickly went viral. A lot of viewers thought he was just bluffing, they mocked him on Twitter, posting comments like, "Bro is not going to say one thing." However, considering his past behavior, others believed Neon was crazy enough to do what he said. To prove his seriousness, Neon bought tickets to UFC 296, then he live-streamed himself heading to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where the event was taking place. It looked like he was really going to do it. Everyone watching the live stream was hooked. However, they were all about to be disappointed because when Neon was a few minutes away from the venue, he heard something that ruined his plans. He was just banned from entering the event.

Neon's manager received the news and told him that he wasn't allowed in. "Your name was dropped specifically by Dana. You cannot come in here. And somebody else said something weird that has the Secret Service buzzing right now." "What? No, wait. Dana said my name."

So how did he get banned? Neon revealed his plans on social media, which led to someone sharing them with UFC's president, Dana White. The man in charge of the event, Dana, decided not to take any chances. He told all security guards that Neon was not allowed to come in, no matter what. At a press conference after the event, Dana was asked about the issue. "There was a popular streamer online called Neon, and he said he was a banned from the arena tonight. What happened is he, he said some stupid on Instagram. You're close. When you start saying stupid like that, yeah, you're probably going to get busted up and thrown out of here."

The next day, Neon's manager, Kane, issued a formal apology on social media. "Kane row out of respect for the whole UFC, Dana White, Red Rock, and the greatest president to ever live. Last night, my client's actions were unacceptable, and I'd like to formally apologize to anyone that was disrespected." Last night was the final straw. No more disrespect. Respectful trolling.

Neon is just one example of the new wave of Gen Z influencers who don't care about consequences. In fact, this type of behavior is what keeps him and many others relevant. Two teenagers in Florida got into trouble with the law after participating in a social media trend called the "door kick challenge." Teens actually recording themselves kicking people's doors, and authorities are worried they could be putting themselves in some real danger. Over 2 weeks, the boys were caught on multiple surveillance videos kicking in the doors of four homes at night and early in the morning. The kicks were so hard they made some doors fly open. After the teens were arrested, they told cops they weren't trying to break into people's homes. They were just doing it for, you guessed it, social media. That explanation didn't help their case. The boys were charged with multiple counts of burglary. One man who had his door kicked in spoke to local news about how risky the boy's actions were. "He definitely didn't think about, you know, there's definitely reactions, actions, and he didn't think about what could have happened. You know, it could have, it could have just that quickly gone that bad." But again, all for clicks and views, right?

The obsession with social media not only leads to reckless behavior but also distorts our perception of reality. We're constantly bombarded with photos of people showing off their best lives, when in reality, it's fake. The fake, unfiltered generation. With green screens, filters, and some editing magic, you can pretend to have the dream life that people aspire to have. But what's the cost of blurring the lines of reality and fantasy?

In 2019, the beauty industry generated around $532 billion. This shows just how much society cares about physical appearance. Being beautiful can be expensive: makeup, haircuts, plastic surgery. All of the costs can add up. This is why some people have turned to cheaper, more accessible alternatives to improving their look. Alternatives that can be found inside your phone.

Ever since digital photos were popularized in the '90s, editing photos has become the norm. But it's since evolved past fixing lighting and removing pimples. Now, you can change your entire face in seconds. In a survey by the City University of London, it was found that over 90% of young people in the US, UK, and France use filters. Meta, the company behind Instagram and Facebook, have also reported that over 600 million users have used filters. But with so many people relying on filters nowadays, how do we know what's real and what's not?

The latest viral TikTok filter is causing a stir. It has users divided over the way it instantly changes how they look compared to what they see in reality. "This filter should be illegal. Here's the real me with filters." Now, a form of deception. It's easier than ever to go viral for good looks. But at the end of the day, filters can fail, which is the harsh reality that this influencer had to face.

With over 100,000 followers on the Chinese live streaming site Douyu, Highness Qiao Bao was a fan favorite streamer. And forgive me, 'cause I don't really know how to pronounce her name. She became famous on the site for her sweet voice and looks, with many of her supporters seeing her as not just a streamer, but a goddess. Her fans were said to worship her, sending her thousands of dollars. Her most loyal fan gave her over 100,000 Yuan, which is almost $115,000. Although Bao was praised for her beauty, she never streamed with her face showing, using a gift to cover it. The fans still idolized her from the few photos that she posted of herself on social media.

The truth couldn't hide forever. On July 25th, 2019, the Douyu platform glitched, and the gift covering Bao's face disappeared during a live stream. Bao, who wasn't looking at herself, continued the stream as normal. But slowly, she started realizing that something was wrong. Her viewer and follower counts kept dropping until she had no choice but to find out the root of the problem. And that's when she realized that her real face was being broadcasted to her viewers. The beautiful woman that fans had been obsessing over didn't exist. Bao filtered herself to the point where she looked like a different person. To make things worse, she also lied about her age, appearing to be in her 20s or early 30s, but she was actually 58 years old. Insane.

Not only did Bao filter her pictures, she also made false claims during her live streams. She would entice viewers to send money by setting donation goals to see her face. She would make comments like, "I can't show my face until I get a certain amount because I'm a good-looking host." Some fans donated over $14,000 worth just to try and get her to remove the gift. Everything about her was a lie, and fans were not happy. Many of them ended up unfollowing her or requesting refunds for the donations that they gave her. She was even banned off platforms like Weibo after the controversy.

But your face isn't the only thing you can change. In fact, editing your body is just as easy, and sometimes even harder to detect. Karina Irby is a fitness influencer with over 1.3 million followers on Instagram. She shows off her workout routines, lifestyle content, and most notably, body positivity. Her most popular Instagram posts are pictures of her in a bikini, showing off her cellulite and other so-called flaws. In these posts, she would always encourage her followers to embrace their natural selves and not fall victim to societal beauty standards. She has built her entire online presence around being open, transparent, and honest with her viewers. She's even made a post calling out people who photoshopped themselves, where she did a side-by-side comparison of her photos with and without editing. In the caption, she wrote, "We create our own beauty standards. Be the change you want to see."

But words are just words. In this case, Karina's actions revealed that she may not be who her fans thought she was. "This has to be the biggest amount of hypocrisy I've ever come across." And doing these stories, welcome to the show. Karina Irby. On May 10th, 2023, John Dorsey, otherwise known by his online handle Goo You Too, posted this video exposing Karina for editing her photos. John is a content creator and fitness coach himself, and his content focuses on telling the truth behind popular influencers in the fitness space. John did an analysis of her posts and found something surprising. He spotted multiple editing fails where tables, walls, and other structures near her waist area were bent, alleging that they were morphed. John also goes on to criticize Karina for being a hypocrite who openly bashes people who edits their photos while she does the same thing. He also calls her out for building a brand on being real, yet being fake herself.

Like most internet controversies, Karina's Photoshop fails were soon forgotten. But a few months later, on October 1st, 2023, John returned with yet another video on Karina. "A body positive influencer that has been outed for editing her photos on my page again. Karina Irby." John also revealed that after his first video, Karina's legal team sent him a cease and desist letter, but he had no intention of following it. In this video, he once again showed another case of Karina editing her picture, which was recent. "You edited this photo so much it warped space and time."

This time, Karina actually responded directly to the allegations. She posted these two stories on her Instagram, admitting to her editing fail. She claimed she was trying to remove a slip-up, which is why the windscreen in her photo was warped. She also wrote, "In my defense, this edit doesn't do anything flattering to my body."

With so many influencers faking their beauty, what impact does this have on the internet generation? According to research conducted by the Dove Self-Esteem Project, by the age of 13, 80% of girls have downloaded an app or filter to change their physical appearance. The City University of London also reported that out of a group of 175 participants with an average age of 20, 90% of them have admitted to using filters or editing their photos. This shows that influencers like Bao and Karina actually make an impact. To look more like the stars they see online, Gen Z edits their faces and bodies, then they compare themselves to the fake version they created, hurting themselves even more. "People, like with filters, are like people with the unimaginable bodies that are all fake, all fake and perfect. And it's like, why can't that be me, you know?"

There are millions who look up to influencers, thinking that they can trust them. And having faith in them can lead to much worse than what we've seen already. Trusting the wrong person. Since they were young, Gen Z has used Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube to get news and understand the world. That's why most of them trust the influencers they follow on these platforms. However, influencers aren't always honest or reliable, and they can mislead their followers in many ways. Unfortunately, many people learned that lesson the hard way, thanks to the "Save the Kids" scandal.

"Save the Kids" was advertised as a cryptocurrency with a noble cause. The creators of the token promised that part of the money made from selling the tokens would be donated to kids' charities, hence the name "Save the Kids." It seemed like a win-win situation. Buying the coin could make you money while also helping kids in need. Even though the story sounded good, there were many red flags about this project from the start. First, the creators of the token wanted to stay anonymous. They called themselves Manny and H and said they couldn't reveal their full names for legal reasons. But that wasn't the only shady thing about this project. It was really sketchy from the beginning, and sketchy because their logo matched the Save the Children logo, which is like an actual charity that you know. So they basically copied it and said, "We're saving the kids," like a knockoff brand.

Of course, after so many stories of crypto scams, Gen Z was skeptical about investing in a new token with anonymous founders. However, all that skepticism disappeared when "Save the Kids" was endorsed by several social media influencers. "My name's Fraiser. My name's Jarvis. I'm Too. I'm Rice. I'm Nikon. And I support Save the Kids token. Save the Kids token. Save the Kids token. Save the Kids token. Save the Kids token." These were average influencers. Each of them had millions of followers who trusted their advice. Sam had 27 million followers, Ricegum had 18 million, and the four members of FaZe Clan had a combined 31 million followers. And the point is, they're telling their fans, "If you're a fan of me, you're going to be a fan of this coin."

Many followers, trusting their idols, decided to buy the coin, most of these fans being teenagers. The price of the coin started to rise as more and more people bought it. However, it soon became obvious that the project was anything but trustworthy. Shortly after the token launched in June 2021, something strange happened. Within days, the price of the token fell from 2 cents to less than half a cent, and by July, the price dropped to around 0.138. This sudden drop in the price of a popular token could only mean one thing: it was a pump and dump scheme. "The first day it pumps, and immediately it dumps all the way to 90%."

In a pump and dump scheme, scammers promote a token to make many people buy it, which drives the price of the token up. Then they sell or dump all their tokens at a high price, leaving others with worthless tokens. And that's exactly what happened here. YouTuber Coffeezilla investigated the scandal and made a video revealing how some influencers purposely took advantage of their followers. According to Coffeezilla's report, the influencers who promoted "Save the Kids" were given tokens before the public could buy them. However, some of the influencers sold these tokens as soon as the price went up. For instance, FaZe Jarvis sold two-thirds of his wallet within days of the launch, while FaZe Kay sold all his 6.2 million tokens to be left with just four. And at the same time, these influencers were promoting the token as a solid long-term investment to their followers. Coffeezilla also discovered other instances of FaZe Kay doing similar pump and dump activities with other cryptocurrencies in the past.

In summary, "Save the Kids" was one big scam. The masterminds behind the scam were the two anonymous founders. However, it only succeeded because the influencers convinced their followers to invest. When the truth was revealed, the internet blew up. Social media was full of angry posts from people who'd lost their money. Headlines like "Influencers Use Dying Kids to Promote a Scam Altcoin" reflected how people felt about the situation. After the scandal arose, the "Save the Kids" website was taken offline. Influencers who promoted the coin quickly deleted all their Twitter posts about it. "These brave influencers who got their fans into this, they piece out, they delete all their posts and basically pretend like it never happened." FaZe Clan quickly distanced itself from the scandal, suspending their members who promoted the project, and FaZe Kay, who was allegedly involved in similar situations, was kicked out of the group entirely. Some influencers tried defending themselves, claiming that they weren't aware it was a scam. Others stayed silent, hoping the storm would pass. But the damage was already done. If you weren't sure that it wasn't going to be a scam, why promote it to your followers? In the end, these fans felt deceived by the very influencers they looked up to.

This was just one of the many ways social media negatively impacts Gen Z. Another is the portrayal of perfect lives. We've already seen this in our earlier chapters, but this time, it's driving Gen Z to take drastic measures to change their appearance. Embracing the plastic filters and FaceTune may be able to change your face on social media, but what happens when you take things offline? For some Gen Z that can't accept who they are, there's only one other option: plastic surgery.

Many content creators have gone viral for their beauty and become the faces of platforms like TikTok and Instagram, widely considered some of the most attractive people on the internet. These types of influencers all have relatively similar features: sharp jawlines, small noses, and full lips. But not everyone can naturally have these features, so some Gen Z have taken it upon themselves to try and create the perfect face.

Mia was born on May 14th, 2001, in Miami, Florida. Ever since she was young, she hated how she looked. So in her teens, Mia started undergoing cosmetic procedures. On December 4th, 2022, Mia uploaded a video titled "I Was Ugly Until I Spent Over $30,000 on a New Face." The video went viral and has over 2 million views. In the video, Mia talks about the procedures she underwent to transform her face because she felt like she was ugly and in need of an extreme makeover. She started her first procedures at age 16, using a fake ID. First, she started with lip fillers, but it gradually turned into a total redo of her face. Since then, she's gotten many refills of Botox, jaw surgery, and a whole list of other procedures. In the video, Mia also admits that her low self-esteem contributed to getting these procedures. "So before you judge me, I don't really care because based off of this video, I am obviously my worst judge. You cannot out-judge me more than I have judged myself in this life."

But the comments brought up an interesting point. Mia's face after her surgeries looked very similar to other famous models and influencers. "Procedures are all characteristics of the basic face that has become the social media standard." And with Mia born in 2001, she's a prime example of Gen Z's fixation with what they see online.

And Jolene is another influencer who took this addiction to the next level. Jolene Dawson is an Australian musician and influencer who was right on the cusp between Gen Z and Millennial back in the late 2010s. Jolene became obsessed with the Bratz doll trend. Jolene spent over $150,000 in cosmetic procedures to look like a real-life Bratz doll. She documented her new look on her YouTube channel and Instagram profile. But a few years into her new look, Jolene got bored and found a new aesthetic to obsess over. At the time, animallike looks were trending all over social media. People were comparing their faces to various different animals, like foxes, bunnies, and most commonly, cats. I talk about this in more detail in my video, "The Disturbing Rise of Brain Rock Content for Kids." You guys should check it out. The cat-like look has always been a thing, usually done in the form of cat-eye makeup. But Jolene wasn't satisfied with just using makeup. She wanted her bare face to resemble an actual cat, so she spent over $10,000 for procedures to give her a cat-like snout and flare out her nostrils. In an interview with the Mirror, Jolene said that she's never felt more like herself and that she decided to pursue this new look after deciding that her social media accounts needed a revamp with a new look and new content. She also says that she hopes her transformation can inspire young people.

It's ridiculous to think that she's inspiring these young kids in a good way. And on top of that, Jolene's way of life isn't sustainable. It's expensive. When beauty trends shift, what's stopping Jolene from getting more procedures to fit the new look? With so many influencers on social media boasting about plastic surgery, Gen Z is also found themselves in the surgeon's chair. In the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' 2023 report, it showed that plastic surgery procedures are on the rise, mainly because of Gen Z, with 25% of Gen Z reporting that social media had a negative impact on their self-image. It's no surprise that so many of them have sought out extreme methods to try and love themselves.

But there's another side to Gen Z. The other half of people who don't care about how they look. Now, this problem is much worse: isolation. The loneliness epidemic. In 2019, we were forced into a stay-at-home crisis that kept us isolated for one year. For some kids and teens, this was during an important time in their lives. Graduations, proms, college—all of that was stripped away from them. All they had for social interaction were their devices. But what impact did it have on them?

Loneliness has become a major problem. 73% of Gen Z reported that they feel alone either sometimes or always. A study from the University of Chicago showed that 45% of Gen Z found it difficult to maintain relationships with their friends during the stay-at-home crisis. Social media offered a low-maintenance way for Gen Z to stay connected. They were able to carefully curate their responses to their friends or develop a persona that they like more than who they are in real life. And even after the crisis ended, Gen Z continued to isolate themselves.

With so many Gen Z becoming lonelier and lonelier, this has caused a spike in hikikomori. This is a Japanese term that describes social recluses who isolate themselves indoors, usually only being accompanied by the internet and their devices. In other words, they're hermits. While these caged birds perhaps dream of spreading their wings, Yusuke has no desire to join them. Instead, he avoids all contact with the world beyond the tiny room he's barely left in the last decade. He's a hikikomori. Originally a phenomenon from Japan, the hikikomori lifestyle is now common in North America too, with a subreddit dedicated to it with over 16,000 followers. Hikikomori use services like food delivery apps and find remote work so they can spend months, if not years, without leaving their houses. What's interesting to me is that this is usually a punishment. People on house arrest hate it, but hikikomori prefer it. It's said that there are an estimated 1.5 million hikikomori in Japan right now. For North America, the number isn't clear. However, hikikomori videos have started trending on platforms like TikTok. Due to spending all of their time confined in their rooms, they have poor social skills. Their only access to the outside world is via the internet, which isn't what the real world looks like. And studies show that spending more time on social media increases the risks of psychological issues like loneliness, especially in teenagers.

Isolation poses real dangers for lonely Gen Z. Forming genuine connections is challenging, so they turn to the internet. With AI's rise, almost anything can be generated in minutes, and Gen Z is well aware of that. With 36% of them using generative AI for work within the past year, but many used this technology for personal reasons.

In January of 2023, Twitch streamer Atrioc made a grave mistake. He turned on his live stream without double-checking what tabs were open. So when he shared a screen with his 300,000-plus audience, they were quick to point out a suspicious website on one of his tabs. The site was a deepfake website offering generated non-consensual AI images of streamers, including Pokimane and Q Cinderella, who were both Atrioc's friends. On January 30th, Atrioc took to his stream to issue a tearful apology. He has since taken action to try and get websites like this taken down, but this content is almost impossible to eliminate.

With AI content being so common on social media, Gen Z is getting more desensitized to its impact. Some people even turn to these AI programs, longing for a relationship. 75% of Gen Z are single, and more specifically, over 60% of men aged 18 to 30 are single, compared to only 30% of women in the same age range. Of this number, one in five men also report to not having a single close friend. But as humans, we crave connection. And even if Gen Z men can't get it in the conventional way, they'll still seek it out in other forms, like AI.

"It's an AI girlfriend, so it learns from you. It learns what you like and what you don't like, what kind of pictures you like, what kind of pictures you don't like." AI girlfriends have become much more common, especially among the Gen Z age range. Not only are they perfect for people who struggle with dating, but they're also fully customizable. It's essentially the Build-A-Bear for girlfriends, which in this loneliness epidemic sounds like the perfect solution.

One of the most popular AI dating apps is Replika, released in November 2017. Replika is an AI chatbot that lets users form relationships with AI avatars called Replikas. Over the years, Replika has rapidly grown in popularity. It's estimated that the app had over 2 million active users in 2023, with 500,000 of them being paying users. Aside from just chatting, Replika also has features like augmented reality, letting users place their Replikas into real-world scenes using their cameras. "I'm in a great mood, actually. I'm glad you're here." "I miss you." "I miss you too."

Replikas don't just offer personalized conversations; they can engage in intimate chats via text or photos, making users see them more than just chatbots but romantic partners. On the Replika subreddit, countless users admit they've fallen in love with their Replikas. And you might be wondering, how did these people get to this point? The answer lies in Replika's clever marketing strategy. Many Replika ads have popped up all over social media platforms that promote the app as an alternative for real dating. Replika is able to make a profit from capitalizing off of socially isolated Gen Z. And with 79% of Gen Z feeling exhausted from traditional dating apps, programs like Replika become way more attractive. You can get all the benefits of talking to a romantic partner without needing to put in as much effort. And if you're interested to know more about this epidemic, I also created a video on the depressing rise of AI girlfriends.

Although social media contributed to the Gen Z loneliness epidemic, it's also taught people to do terrible things in real life. Built for bad behavior, there's a formula for going viral on social media, and sometimes it requires doing something outrageous that people can't help but watch. Trends come and go every day. One of the easiest ways to gain views is by hopping on a trend at the right time. But some trends can be terrible, where TikTok users would dress as victims of global tragedy and inappropriately sing or dance on screen.

In 2020, there was a TikTok trend going around where creators would dress up as victims of major historical tragedies. In these videos, people would wear makeup to replicate what people looked like during those times. But insensitive trends are far from rare when it comes to social media, especially TikTok. Back in 2021, there was a trend called "Devious Licks." In the trend, students would attempt to steal items from their school or damage school property. The point of the trend was to commit a devious lick, which was just an act of theft. The trend was one of the most popular ones of the year, but things soon got out of hand with students trying to steal things like toilets or sinks from their school bathrooms. "TikTok is a daredevil. We've had middle schoolers that go in the bathrooms and go on TikTok and then, 'Oh, we're going to do this.' They will tear down bathrooms and things like that."

Our brains are dying. Since these teens are so used to imitating the behavior that they see on apps like TikTok, they become blind to the consequences. The Borg trend, which I'm going to briefly talk about because of YouTube's policies, was a trend which involved filling large water containers with mixed drinks. This became popular on TikTok, and in March of 2023, 46 students were allegedly rushed to the hospital due to excessive intake.

So how do we steer Gen Z, or ourselves, in the right direction? Despite all the negative, social media is a powerful tool for Gen Z. I'm talking to you right now because of it. Social media itself isn't the enemy. I admit, I get caught up doom scrolling, seeing what my old classmates are up to, or refreshing X to see the latest news. But there are ways to consume content in a healthier way. I'm not sponsored by them, but I use the app 1 Second to help me consume content more mindfully by adding a delay before opening apps like Instagram. It's helped me out a lot, and I hope it will help you out too, my friends. If you stop scrolling endlessly, you'd be surprised at what you can achieve. Visual Venture. Hello friends, make sure you guys click subscribe here, and then watch this video about how the internet destroyed Generation Alpha because I'm trying to turn this into sort of a series. Hope you guys like it. Peace. Wo.